Sleepwalker
by Dice Lees
Summary: Complete. Nobody really knows what goes through someone’s mind when they are on that subconscious level in which sleepwalking occurs. This is just another tale of how emotions affect people even more in their sleep, than in consciousness…
1. Chapter One

_Disclaimer: I don't own the newsies, however I do own Piper and Dice. Iris, Bailey, Quotes and Duckie belong to themselves and Shortie belongs to Iris._

_**March 3, 2005** - This is the (slightly) revised version of_ Sleepwalker.

_I would also like to take this opportunity to point out that the story is quite **violent** (though I tried to make it as mild as possible) and has some character deaths. _

_Thank you,  
Dice_

_

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Nobody really knows what goes through someone's mind when they are on that subconscious level in which sleepwalking occurs. Most of the time the person doesn't even remember ever leaving their bed. One of the phenomena of sleepwalking is that when on this level the person becomes a sort of superhuman. They have super strengths and super speeds. People have been said to lift up trucks and run hundreds of miles while sleepwalking. It is thought that emotions trigger this strange behavior.

This is just another tale of how emotions affect people even more in their sleep, than in consciousness….

* * *

Skittery walked down the street cheerily, he was in a very happy mood on that glorious day. The sun was shining outside warming every inch of his body, and he just couldn't keep himself from whistling a tune he had once heard. Nothing could ruin that day. 

He grabbed the handle on the door to Tibby's, lifting his hat as two sophisticated girls walked by.

"Morning ladies!" They didn't reply, they merely increased their speed, but Skittery hardly noticed he just swung the door open and headed inside.

The restaurant was empty except for a single girl who sat tucked away in the back corner, at a table for two. Skittery pulled his hat down and headed over to her.

"Hello Piper," he greeted kissing the girl's hand. She shrugged slightly, and tugged her hand away from his grasp. "Is something wrong?" Piper looked up to the ceiling, then back at Skittery.

"Skittery, we've been-"

"May I take your order?" the waiter asked, interrupting Piper's thoughts and leaving her smiling awkwardly up at the man.

"I'm fine," she replied, looking back at her hands.

"I'm good for now," Skittery answered. The waiter nodded and walked back to the counter. "You were saying."

"Oh, yeah," Piper licked her lips nervously. "We've been going out for awhile now, but… I just can't picture us getting any further." Skittery frowned as this news sunk in.

"What are you saying?"

"Well, me and Jack have been talking and he's told me he really cares for me, and well, I think I do too,"

"Wait a minute, you and Jack? Jack Kelly? _My_ _friend_ Jack Kelly! How long has this been going on?" Piper opened her mouth to speak, but Skittery halted her words with his hand. "You know what I don't wanna know. Just go away. Go away. Have nice life with that wannabe cowboy."

"Skittery, I didn't mean to hurt…"

"To hurt me? So I suppose you thought that telling me you're leaving me for Jack was a really good idea. Did you think I'd be happy about this; that I'd feel the same way. Let me let you in on a little secret. I thought we had something special, something that would last. I guess I was wrong." Skittery looked away, and Piper stood.

"I'm sorry. I hope you find someone special, that will love in the way I couldn't." She left, but he didn't move. Later more newsies came into the restaurant, they greeted Skittery but he didn't answer, and he didn't move. He just sat there, going over the conversation in his mind, a million times over and over.

Why was it that good days were always ruined by the worst kind of bad news?

Skittery left his seat, and then the restaurant, still without a word. He headed over to Central Park where he sat and thought some more about the conversation. The more he thought about it, the more he hated Jack, and strangely, the more he hated himself. If only he'd loved Piper more, maybe then she'd still be his. He thought about all the 'what ifs' until his brain hurt. What if he had given her that, or what if he had gone there with her, but it didn't really matter anyway. She was with Jack now, and as long as he was around Skittery would never have a chance.

Soon it was nearly dark, and the full moon had come out. However, it only became visible every so often, as dark gray clouds drifted this way and that across the sky, like angry strokes of paint on an artist's canvas. Skittery hardly even noticed as it began to drizzle. But as the air began to cool and the rain poured down harder, he was awakened from his trance. He pulled his vest tightly around his chest, as he trudged back to his bed.

When he reached the lodging house he stopped in the doorway to wring the water from his cap, and to wipe the dirt from the soles of his shoes. After he had finished, he climbed the stairs and headed into the boys' bunkroom. As he entered a few newsies greeted him.

"Hey Skittery,"

"Hey Crutchy,"

"Heya Skitts, join us for a round of poker?"

"No thanks, Race. I'm tired."

"Alright, suit yourself." Skittery walked silently over to his bunk, pulling his hat and vest off, and hanging them on a bedpost. As he did so, the door opened and Shortie, Iris, Bailey, Quotes, Dice and Duckie walked in. The girls all went out together every Friday afternoon, and then came back around ten o'clock, to spend a few last hours with the boyfriends. He observed them each as they all greeted everyone before heading off to their boyfriends. Bailey and Shortie went over to where Specs and Jake sat talking. Shortie kissed Jake smiling, while Specs and Bailey hugged, whispering to one another. Iris, Dice, Duckie and Quotes went to the poker table, as Spot, Racetrack, Mush and Kid Blink finished their fifth hand that night.

Skittery sighed as he watched the remaining girls and boys get together. However, he became thoroughly confused when he didn't see Piper come in with the others. He quickly glanced around the room and found that Jack was not there either. He could only imagine what they were doing, and it was made him feel a little queasy. Shaking his head, he climbed up onto his bunk to lie down. He wasn't quite ready to sleep though, besides, it would have been a difficult job with all the lights on and everyone talking loudly.

"Alright, what do you got?" Spot laid his cards down on the table, and all the other newsies groaned when they saw that he had won yet again. Iris slapped his arm playfully.

"Spot, let someone else win for a change!" Blink groaned and Spot laughed.

"I'm trying, I'm trying." They laughed, and Mush began dealing out some more cards. "Oh, I'm afraid we're out this round," Spot started, standing up and grabbing Iris' hand. "I gotta go check on the guys in Brooklyn, see you guys later." When they had left, the others resumed the game.

"Hands up if you actually believe they're just going to 'check up on things'," Blink asked the table and surrounding newsies. Nobody raised his or her hand.

"He's gotta work on his excuses," Mush sighed, looking at Duckie, who blushed slightly. "He might as well just say it." Everyone nodded, and the game commenced.

Shortly after that Jack and Piper came in. They did so casually, and nobody noticed anything peculiar.

"Hey Jack, where you been?" Dutchy asked, from his bunk.

"Around. You seen Skittery?" Dutchy nodded and pointed over to the other newsie's bunk.

"Is he ok, he ain't said much since he got back?" Jack shrugged and headed over to the bunk, Piper didn't follow she went to join the card game.

"Heya Skittery," Jack greeted slowly, leaning against his bed. Skittery looked over the side at Jack and then back at the ceiling.

"Oh. Hi." Jack started to wonder if what he was doing was wise.

"Hey Skittery, I'm really sorry. I heard you didn't take the news too well, which I understand. But I love her, I wasn't sure if I was making the right decision when I told her either…."

"Look," Skittery interrupted, sitting up, "it's ok. I'll get over it. You win some you lose some." Jack wasn't sure if Skittery's nonchalance a good thing or a bad thing, but he nodded nevertheless.

"Right. Well, goodnight."

"Night," Skittery called. "Hope you sleep well."

A short while later, Kloppman came up the stairs and into the bunkroom.

"Lights out everyone!" Some of the newsies groaned. The couples kissed each other goodnight before the girls left for their own room, and then when everyone was settled the lights were turned down.


	2. Chapter Two

The rain pounded roughly against the lodging house's windows. The room was completely dark; no lights filtered through the window on that night, even the full moon was entirely hidden from view.

Around one in the morning the storm began to get worse. Thunder crashed like mighty drums, and lightening flashed zigzags in the sky, briefly illuminating the room every few seconds. The room was quiet, except for the occasional snore here and there.

Kid Blink bolted upright in his bed. Sweat had collected along his hairline, and his breathing was heavy and labored. He looked about the room, feeling slightly dizzy as the room became light and then dark again repeatedly. Blink was about to lie back down, but he stopped as another crack of thunder and flash of lightening allowed him to see a figure silhouetted against the window.

He froze. When the light flashed again the figure was gone. He shook his head, thinking that it was just his imagination overreacting.

The light flashed again, and the figure was right in front of him. It grabbed Blink roughly by the shoulders and tossed him out of his bunk and onto the floor. Blink tried to stand, but he was in a very great deal of pain.

The thump of the boy's body hitting the floor did not go unnoticed. Racetrack awoke immediately, confused to see his bunkmate on the floor below. He got out of bed quickly and went to the fallen newsies side.

"What happened?" Race asked trying to help Blink up.

"There's someone up there," Blink said pointing to his bunk, while managing to sit up. Race looked up at the bunk, and there just as Blink had said, a person stood. Race couldn't make out whom it was, but the lightening flared once again, lighting the room entirely.

_Skittery_. Race gasped as he saw the malice burning in Skittery's darkened eyes. But before Racetrack could take another breath, the boy had landed in front of him. He was crouched low on his haunches.

All of a sudden he stood, bringing his arm up swiftly, allowing it collide with Race's head. His action sent Race across the floor, and into the bunk Jack solely occupied – the bang was enough to wake the whole bunkroom.

Jack peered over the front of his bunk bed, and saw Race lying limply against one of the posts. He looked out and saw Skittery bent over Blink. Jack made a mad leap from the top of his bunk on to the floor, and was there just in time to pull Blink away from Skittery's blows. Jack half dragged Blink backwards, pushing him to his feet, and then they both stood, looking at Skittery in horror.

The rest of the bunkroom occupants were awake by then, and standing by the doors. Jack took a quick glance at the assembled group and saw that Crutchy along with Pie Eater and Snitch had managed to get the younger newsies out. That had always been Jack's plan. If something was wrong, those three newsies would get them out as fast as possible. Jack nodded at the group and they all started towards the door. But before any of them could even blink Skittery was in front of it, blocking them from any escape.

They slowly backed up, and Jake who was at the very back of the group quietly opened the door to the girls' room. They all filtered in, careful not to make any sudden movements. But when Jack was the last one in the doorway, Skittery tried to pounce on him. Jack slammed the door as quickly as he could; Skittery's hand was caught in the door. Jack opened it in inch and then closed it roughly on his hand. The force was enough for Skittery to retract his hand, and Jack closed the door all the way. He let out a small sigh of relief. Behind the boys Quotes lit a small candle and brought it towards the door.

"What's going on?" she asked Jack, before she saw Blink crouched in pain. "Oh my goodness, what happened?" She bent over him and they embraced. The other boys did the same to their girlfriends. Piper walked over to Jack, and gave him a questioning look.

"Skittery's gone crazy or something. I think he's killed Race already." Dice gasped, pushing her way to where Jack was talking.

"What?" But Jack didn't answer, Blink did.

"Skittery pushed me off my bunk, and Race came to check out what happened. He tried to help me out of the way, but Skittery… hit him and…" Dice just stared. Piper hugged her gently, and then looked to Jack.

"I think I know what's going on. Skittery told me he sleepwalks."

"But that doesn't make sense. He just killed someone! Isn't sleepwalking just walking?" Jake interjected, as he, Specs and Dutchy joined the conversation.

"The older you get the more dangerous it becomes," Piper replied trying to sound as rational as possible.

"Fine, then let's just wake him up."

"You can't. He'll kill you before you do. They're like super humans in that state. They can do things that would normally be impossible." As the conversation went from Jake to Piper, to Dutchy and then back to Piper again, Jack started to feel like they had no hope.

"But why is he acting like this?" Jake asked, pulling Shortie over to him. The girl nodded.

"Yeah, this ain't never happened before," Shortie added.

"Well, he wants to get someone. That's the only explanation if he's on a killing spree. I mean who knows if he even saw Race when he killed him, to him he may have just been there; something blocking him from what he wanted." Jack raised his hands after Piper finished.

"Do you hear that?" Jack asked.

"I don't hear anything." Mush answered.

"Exactly…. I wonder what he's doing in there?" Jack asked reaching for the knob.

"Jack, don't!" Piper begged. There was a loud scratching noise on the door; Jack jerked his hand back so quickly, it was as if he had just been burned.

"What was that?" Duckie asked grabbing hold of Mush, as the sound occurred once again. Cautiously Jack approached the door, and put his head up against it.

"He's trying to get through the door." The scratches got more frequent by the minute, then there was banging. The sounds alternated as Skittery searched for a soft spot in the wood to break through. The newsies all backed slowly away from the door, one thought on all of their minds: how much longer would they be safe in there?

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_Disclaimer: I don't own the newsies, however Piper and Dice are of my own creation. Iris, Bailey, Quotes and Duckie belong to themselves and Shortie belongs to Iris._


	3. Chapter Three

Spot turned around so that he was facing Iris. He gently pulled her closer to himself, being careful not to wake her. Spot watched as her chest gently rose and fell with each breath she drew. It was almost hypnotic. But her breath became less smooth, and she began to move sharply in his arms. Spot pulled away, and Iris sat up panting ever so slightly.

"What's wrong?" Spot asked, also sitting up.

"I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right." Iris looked down at the floor and then out the open window as the storm continued. She turned back to Spot. "We should go to Manhattan."

"What? It's two in the morning, and we're going tomorrow anyway." Iris gave Spot a stern look and hopped out of the bed, pulling on her pants and jacket. "Fine you don't want to come with me, I'll go myself." Spot sighed as she headed out the door.

"Wait!" he called; she turned around and looked at him. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

In the lobby Iris looked outside skeptically. She didn't exactly love thunderstorms, but she had to get to the Manhattan Lodging house! As Spot came down the stairs and saw her looking out the window, he sighed again.

"You sure we have to go." Iris turned around and nodded, grabbing an old newspaper off the front desk to shield her head from the rain; she headed out the door. Spot followed suit by grabbing a paper and exiting quietly.

* * *

The scratches and bangs grew harder and rougher. Each newsie clung to something, tensing at each of Skittery's strikes, as if they were painful. Then without any warning everything went completely silent.

Jack took a single step towards the door, and at the same time something was banged into the door. Many of the girls screamed. The wood had been splintered near the top.

Continuous blows were made to the broken area by the object. However, it was soon discarded and Skittery was back at trying to rip through the small opening. They began to see the tips of his fingers and his nails through the hole. They were bloody and mangled, but Skittery appeared to be in no pain, as he continued to scratch away at the broken wood. Then he began to use his elbows to force the hole to get bigger. Scrapping them roughly as shreds of wood dug into his arm, blood falling in puddles around the door.

It was then that Dice started to cry. She had remained silent, but she could hold it in no longer.

Iris and Spot dashed off of the Brooklyn Bridge, and onto the familiar Manhattan Streets, flimsy newspapers being their only protection from the rain. They headed through alleys and side streets; taking every shortcut they knew to get there as fast as possible.

When they finally reached the lodging house they were totally drenched, their newspapers having been discarded at least three alleys before. Iris rushed up the front stairs and grabbed onto the door handle. It was locked. She looked over at Spot.

"The door's locked." The door was usually never locked, so her statement was almost a way of saying _I told you something was wrong_, but they didn't have time for that. "The fire escape!" she yelled heading around to the side of the building.

In the alleyway, Iris looked up to be disappointed yet again. The ladder was pulled up, and neither of them had anything they could use to pull it down. Spot watched Iris as she tried to think of another plan, meanwhile coming up with one of his own. He looked around at the alley floor, searching for something.

Spot found a fair sized rock by a trashcan. He picked it up and chucked it at the window. The first time he hit the rail of the fire escape, but the second time he managed to hit the window. Though he threw a little more forcefully than he'd expected, as it broke through the glass with a loud crash.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Bailey asked, having heard the window break in the next room. "The window broke, but Skittery didn't do it."

"You don't know that." Specs called to her, trying to stop her from going near the window. "He could be out there on the fire escape, waiting."

"Don't be silly. There's someone out there."

"That's what I'm saying!" Bailey ignored his last comment, heading over to the window, pushing it open.

"Iris!" she called, and all the newsies ran over to the window.

"What's going on?" Iris called back.

"Never mind, just go get some help! Quickly!"

Iris nodded and both she and Spot ran to the police station to get someone. All of sudden the room went silent again. Jake pushed the window closed, so that they could hear more clearly.

"Is he gone?" No one answered, so Jake headed to the door.

"Jake don't he's waiting on the other side. Don't be foolish. He'll kill you." Shortie tried her best to change his mind, but he shook his head.

"Someone has to find out what's going on. I'll do it."

Shortie hugged him tightly. "Make sure you come back."

Jake opened the door and went out into the silent bunkroom, closing the door behind him. The newsies waited in anticipation for some sort of sign, a noise, any noise. But there was nothing. A minute, then a second and a third passed, but still there was nothing. However after the forth something changed. A chair or table broke and then there was very heavy breathing. Like an animal, a ten foot tall animal. Shortie choked back her tears, and both she and Dice clung to each other. The breathing continued, but it slowly began to fade, fade until it was silent again.

"I'm afraid of silence now, lately it's something bad that always breaks it," Dice whispered to the others. Shortie just sobbed louder.

For another hour they sat in complete silence, except for the rain beating on the city streets. The beats seemed soothing, but they just added to the tension. No one said anything, no one did anything, they just waited, but for what they did not know. Then something far away broke, startling the lot of them. They heard feet on the stairs, ascending. They felt hopeful. Then there were voices, but none that they recognized. The door opened; an officer walked in.

"Is everyone ok?" he asked looking about at the nervous faces, most of them nodded, and Jack stood. He walked to the door and looked into the bunkroom. Everything was askew. There were blankets and mattresses scattered across the floor. Around the door there were piles of chipped wood, all covered in blood. He saw the broken table and Jake, with a small pocketknife in his grasp, and then he saw Race still lying where he had landed. Then almost totally out of view he saw Skittery atop his bunk staring at the ceiling, his arm hanging over the side.

Jack stared at the boy. He just lay there. Spot and Iris came up to Jack as he watched the police examine Skittery. They started talking to Jack, but he didn't answer, he couldn't' even understand what they were saying. Iris and Spot went into the bunkroom and started talking to the newsies within. Piper came up beside Jack and hugged him. When he turned to look at her, she saw that there were tears on his cheeks. He hugged her back.

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_Disclaimer: I don't own the newsies, however Piper and Dice are of my own creation. Iris, Bailey, Quotes and Duckie belong to themselves and Shortie belongs to Iris._


	4. Epilogue and Notes

_Epilogue_:

Later that day they found out all the missing information. Race had died from a severe concussion; Jake had had his neck broken; and Skittery, Skittery had bled to death, but he had never woken.

The newsies had a funeral for their fallen friends, and it was one that would never be forgotten. Humble, yet sincere were the words spoken about each friend, and though they knew Skittery had been the cause, no one ever blamed him, especially not Jack.

**

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Now that I've finished the story I'd like to share with you the truth behind the story. This is a bit disturbing, so please feel free to skip it.

Similar events occurred at my aunt's house. It was nearly morning when her next-door neighbor, forgive me I don't remember the woman's name, came to her front door shouting, I believe her arms were covered in blood. She explained to my aunt and uncle that her son Nick had somnambulism and was trying to kill her (he was sleepwalking).

My uncle found this situation hard to believe, as he knew that Nick was a very polite and good-natured boy. He went into her home, to find Nick. When he got inside Nick was at the top of the stairs, where he proceeded to jump down on my uncle. He described Nick as having something strange in his eyes; he was like an animal waiting to attack. My uncle managed to escape and ran back to his house, telling my aunt to lock the door and call the police quickly.

After they closed the door Nick tried to get into it by breaking the glass on the front door. By doing this he severely cut his arms, getting shards of glass stuck in them, and getting blood everywhere. Anyway he eventually gave up and went back to his room. Nick's aunt and grandmother were hiding in the house when he came back. They said his breaths were so hard and deep, he didn't sound human. Between the time when he left my aunt's door and the police's arrival Nick curled up nursing his arm, and then in time died. Let him rest in peace.

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My story was just a fabricated version involving the newsies. I would also like to say that all the parts of this story were completely random. I have nothing against Skittery, he is my second favourite newsie; I chose him as the sleepwalker because when I stuck my hand in my hat I grabbed his name. The same goes for Jake and Race being killed and Jack being the 'girlfriend stealer'.


End file.
